Long, long ago -- so long ago that there weren't vast electronic systems dedicated to letting the entire world watch that funny thing that somebody's neighbor's cat does -- Mr. Tidbit mentioned the following (perhaps it was in the early 1980s): How odd it is (or was, then) that many small companies had for years produced versions of Rice Krispies bars, but Kellogg (which produced both the Rice Krispies and the recipe) didn't bother. Some time later, of course, Kellogg caught up with that situation, and the world as we know it, full of Kellogg-produced Rice Krispies Treats, came to be.Almost as odd as he found Kellogg's nonproduction of its own Rice Kripies bars so long ago, Mr. Tidbit can't quite believe that in the 30 or so intervening years they hadn't made the obvious leap and produced a version using their Cocoa Rice Krispies cereal.

But now Post has done almost exactly that: It's Cocoa Pebbles Treats.

A side note: Although Kellogg's Rice Krispies (and Rice Krispies Treats) contain malt flavoring and are thus not gluten-free, Post's Cocoa Pebbles (and new Cocoa Pebbles Treats) do not contain malt flavoring, and they are gluten-free. On the other hand, Cocoa Pebbles Treats are manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts and tree nuts.

Thick sauce Here almost simultaneously are new thick, not-too-spicy versions of competing brands of hot sauce. Both Tabasco Buffalo style hot sauce and Frank's Red Hot Thick cayenne pepper sauce are intended to be used -- as the Frank's Thick label suggests -- for dipping, spreading or pouring over food.

For those who keep count, this makes seven Tabasco hot sauces: original, chipotle, green, habanero, garlic, sweet & spicy and new Buffalo, and eight Frank's Red Hot sauces: original, Xtra hot, chile n' lime, sweet chili, Sweet Heat BBQ Wings, Buffalo Wings, Hot Buffalo Wings and new thick.

AL SICHERMAN